- Zimbabwe has moved to extend the country’s lockdown
- The new extension will go for two more weeks
- Mental Health and Psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Zimbabwe has extended its Covid-19 lockdown by two more weeks. Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced a two-week extension in its efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The Southern African nation has been on lockdown since March when the government announced the first lockdown. The nation would then extend the lockdown further before the announcement of the two-week extension.
Announcing the extension, President Mnangagwa also informed a $720 million stimulus package for distressed companies.
Zimbabwe’s economy has been adversely shuttered by the lockdown characterized with acute shortages of foreign currency, food, electricity and medicines.
Mnangagwa said the $720 million (18 Billion Zimbabwe Dollars) stimulus package would be channeled into the country’s budget to help avert the economic crisis.
The package is proportionate to the disruption the virus has caused to the national economy.
The President, however, did not inform on how the package would be funded.
In the televised address, Mnangagwa said that public gatherings of more than 50 people and the use of public taxis remain suspended while schools will remain shut.
Informal markets in the country where more than 80% of the country earns their living will remain shut while big businesses and companies will reopen under supervision of the country’s health officials.
The coronavirus pandemic has claimed four lives with 40 recorded cases of the virus.
